Soccer
The world football association has been coordinating its activities from its new headquarters near the Zurich Zoo since 2006. The new Home of FIFA blends harmoniously into the unique landscape. The development also includes a soccer field with international dimensions and artificial turf, a training field and a beach soccer field.
FC Zurich’s home stadium (Internet: www.fcz.ch) is the Letzigrund Stadium, Baslerstrasse 5 (Tel: (08 48) 80 08 00. Internet: www.letzigrund.ch).
The rival Grasshopper Zurich football club, founded in 1886 (Internet: www.gcz.ch), which could be seen in the Hardturm Stadium, Hardturmstrasse 321 (Tel: (044) 447 46 46) until the end of August 2007, also plays in the Letzigrund Stadium. The new Zurich stadium is currently under construction on the site of the former Hardturm stadium (Internet: www.stadion-zuerich.ch).
Tickets for sporting events can be booked through the stadiums or clubs or from the TicketCorner (Internet: www.ticketcorner.ch).
Golf
The 9-hole course of the Dolder Golf Club, Kurhausstrasse 66 (Tel: (044) 261 50 45. Internet: www.doldergolf.ch), is the oldest golf course in Zurich and offers a beautiful view of the city and the lake.
The Zurich-Zumikon Golf Club has an 18-hole course in Zumikon, Weid 9 (Tel: (044) 918 00 50), ten kilometers southeast of the city.
Both golf courses are available Mon-Fri and require a registered golf handicap and a reservation in advance from their players.
Ice skating
As expected, ice skating is very popular in Zurich. The artificial ice rinks include the Dolder, Adlisbergstrasse 36 (Tel: (044) 267 70 90. Internet: www.doldereisbahn.ch), which has a good restaurant and a kiosk, the Heuried, Wasserschoepfi 71 (Tel: (044) 315 40 50), and the Keusnacht artificial ice rink, Johannisbergstrasse 11, CH-8700 Zurich (Tel: (044) 910 57 77).
Winter sports
The country’s ski association is the Swiss Ski Association (SSV), Worbstrasse 52, 3074 Muri near Bern (Tel: (031) 950 61 11. Internet: www.swiss-ski.ch).
There are several downhill slopes just half an hour away from Zurich, and there is a 12 km long cross-country ski run on the Ütliberg, but it is worth the two to two and a half hour long journey by train or car to get to Klosters (Internet: www .klosters.ch) or Davos (Internet: www.davos.ch) to ski.
Many locals prefer the shorter route to Engelberg, south of Lucerne, where you can get a day train and ski pass.
Swim
The indoor pools (Internet: http://www.stadt-zuerich.ch/ssd/de/index/sport/schwimmen.html) very often include gyms with saunas and solariums. Massages are also offered.
A specialty of Zurich are the river pools, which are mostly free. The most popular is the Obere Letten near the main train station.
The historic Frauenbadi is located on the Stadthausquai directly in the city and partly offers cultural events.
Most lake and river pools are only open in summer, with the exception of the Badi Enge, which offers a sauna in winter.
Tennis
The Mythenquai tennis courts, Mythenquai 200 (Tel: (044) 202 32 43) are located near the seaside resort of Mythenquai.
You can play all year round on Lengg-Platz, Bleulerstrasse 141 (Tel: (044) 381 13 13. Internet: www.lengg.ch). Reservations must be made in winter.
Other tennis courts in the city can also be booked in advance (tel: (044) 388 99 99).
Other sports
The city’s best ice hockey team, the ZSC Lions (Internet: www.zsclions.ch), plays in Nationalliga A and is at Hallenstadion, Wallisellenstrasse 45, Oerlikon district (Tel: (044) 316 77 88. Internet: www. hallenstadion.ch) based.
Another team, the Kloten Flyers (Internet: http://kloten-flyers.ch), plays for the place of the same name.